Combined last and stretcher



(No Model.) '2 Slieet-Sheen 1.

S. SCHWAB.

COMBINED LAST AND STRETGHBR.

No. 366,888. Patented July 19, 1887.

WMM/woo@ s l (No MOe'L) S SCHWAB 2 Sheets-8h88?? l COMBINED LAST AND STRE-TGHER.

No. 888,888. Patented July 19, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL SOHVAB, OF XVINDSOR, MISSOURI.

COMBINED LAS-T AND STRETCHER.

SPBCIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,888, dated July 19, 1887.

Serial No. 234,055.

(No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Sonwan, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Windsor, in the county of Henry and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Last and Stretcher; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the` letters and figures of reference marked thercon,which form a part of this specification. I

Thisinvention relates to a combined last and stretcher, and aims to provide a last which can be adapted to differentsized shoes, and which can be mounted upon a standard or not, as may be required, to devise provisions for stretching any part or portion of a shoe, to contrive a means for forcing the last up into the toe of the boot or shoe, and, lastly, to produce a device for the purposes set forth which will be simple, compact, and economical as consisten with the results to be attained.

The improvement consists in the novel features presently to be described and claimed, and shown in the annexed drawings,in which- Figure l is a perspective view, parts being broken away, of a combined last and stretcher constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention, mounted upon a standard; Fig. 2, a detail side view showing the manner of forcing the last into the toe of a boot or shoe; Fig. 3, a rear view of the upper portion of the standard and last; Fig. 4, a plan view, parts being broken away, of the last, showing the stretcher-lever locked in position; Fio. 5, a perspective view ofthe stretcher; Fig. 6, a side view, partly in section, showing the toe portion of the stretcher adjusted by dotted lines; Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the instep portion adjusted by dotted lines; Fig. 8, a perspective detail of the toe portion of the last, showing the filling-piece in position between the separated parts; Fig. 9, a perspective view of the filling-piece; Fie'. 10, a per spective view of the stretching-block,which is applied to any portion of the last for stretching the shoe at any particular point; Fig. 11, an end view of the stretchingblock; Fig. 12,

a transverse section of the last and stretcher on the line X X of Fig.- 2. Fig. 13 are detail perspective views ofthe devices employed for stretching the shoe when the last is detached from the standard. Fig. 14 is a perspective detail view ot' the frontend ofthe last, showing a stretching-block in position; and Fig. 15, a perspective view of the heel-presser or device for forcing the last up into the shoe.

The last is composed of two longitudinal parts or halves, A and A, which are held together by the dowel-pins a and a', and are adjusted to and from each other by the set-screws c2 and a, for widening and narrowing the last, as desired, to adapt it to shoes ol' different width. The heel-piece C is adjustably connected with the last by the set-screw c, and is prevented from turning b'y the dowel-piu or guide c', which is secured at its outer end to the heel-piece, and has its inner end fitted in an opening in the last or one ot the halves thereof. rlhe last is lengthened and shortened by moving the heel-piece away from or nearer to the last,which is accomplished by turning the set-screw c in the proper direction. Agroove or recess is formed between the adjacent faces ofthe halves, in which is located the stretcherlever B,which comes Yflush with thelast-,and is mounted upon the pivot Il, having each end supported in vthehalves, one end being adapted to move relative to one part oi" the last, so the two paris can be separated or brought together. The front end of the lever terminates in thc hook I), and the rear end is widened, and is provided with the head b2, having the opening or recess b.

The stretcher D is concave-convex and conforms to the instep and toe portion of the .last over which in practice it is designed to fit, and is held in place by the hook b of the lever B engaging with the eye d, depending from t-hc toe of the stretcher'. The stretcher and stretcher-lever are of about an equal length, and the rear end of the stretcher is notched, whereby thc two arms or lugs d are formed, which are united at their outer ends by the cross-bar d2. It the rear end of the lever is depressed, thc toc portion only of the stretcher is forced out, thereby stretching the toe of the shoe only. If the rear end of the stretcher is moved away from the last, the instep of the IOO \ last.

shoe is st retched independently of any other part. By depressing the rear end of the lever and simultaneously moving the rear end of the stretcher away from the last the shoe will be stretched equally from toe to instep, as will be readily understood. These several results are accomplished by appliances and provisions more fully hereinafter specified.

rlhe sides of the last and stretcher have openings or mortises c2 at intervals for the reception of the shank e of the strctchingblock E, which is inserted and held therein by the spring e'. For peggng or nailing the soles of shoes, mending heels, Src., the last is mounted upon the standard F and the shoe is held to the last by the strap G, in the usual manner.v

The lower end of the strap is connected with the lever H by the hook g. The rear end of the lever is held down by the lip h, secured to and projecting from the side thereof, engaging with one of the teeth of the ratchet-plate 71..

which the end or shoulder on the rod .I abut-s` and limits or prevents any tilting up of the The last is held from tipping down by the stops f', projected from the forward side of the standards, which stops come directly beneath the last on each side of the head b2 ofthe lever B. The rod J is itted in a groove formed in the rear of the standard, and is pivoted therein near its lower end. The set-screw J', passed through the cross-barj, bears upon the lower end of the rod for forcing said end within the groove and the upperend correspondingly outward. The upper end is provided with the extension j', which istitted tothe heel-presser J2, having the socketj2 at its lower end to receive the extension j.

For forcing the last up into the toe of the shoe, the heel-presser is adjusted upon the end of the rod and the set-screw J is screwed in, which forces the lower end of the rod .I in and its upper end out, and the heel-presser bearing upon the interior of the shoe forces the shoe toward the rear and upon the last, as will be readily understood. .The lugs or brackets F F2, projected from the standard, form bearings for the adj listing-screw K, having the K turn to draw the rear end of the stretcher down or bear upon the rear end of the lever B and force said end in and the opposite end accordingly outward. The spring N holds the rod m close up against th'e standard. The base I is centrally apertured and the lower end of thev standard F is mounted 'therein so as to The last can be readily detached from the standard and yet be used for stretching shoes. To effect this result, the hand-screw K, corresponding to the screw K, is provided, and the end is reduced, so as. to iit the opening b3 in the head of the lever B, which enters said end of the screw. The yoke O is mounted upon the screw, and its ends, which are hook-shaped, pass through the bracketsp, projected-from and connected with each side of the last. By screwing down upon the lever B the toe portion of the stretcher will be moved outward. Now disengaging the ends of the yoke from the brackets and fastening the lever by a pin passed through the opening a, and screwing down upon the lever, as before, the rear end of the stretcher will be moved out. If the pin be removed and the screw turned down, the stretcher will be forced out at each end. The stretching-blocks E are used only in case it be desired to stretch the shoe at a particular spot, so it will not bear upon a callous lportion of the foot, such as a corn, bunion, 85e.

In case a shoe is verywide and a large space would be left between the parts of the last near the toe the filling d is provided, which has ribs g on its sides to ft corresponding grooves in the sides of the halves.

Having thus described my invention',what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

'1. The combination, .with the last longitudinally grooved, of the lever fitted in said-groove and extending Hush with the last, the stretcher concavo-convex in form and adapted to fit over said lever, and provisions, substantially as set forth, for moving said stretcher, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combinatiomwith the last divided longitudinally and the parts adjustable to 'and ,from each other', of the lever located between for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the halves of the IOO last having grooves in their adjacent faces, of the lling-piecc having corresponding ribs to iit in the grooves, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the last, of the stretching-blocks having shanks and lockingsprings forholding thehlocks in position, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with thelast, the stand` ard, and the heel-presser, of the rod pivoted betweenits ends, and havin g one end connected with the heel-presser, and means, as the setscrew, for moving the free end of the rod,

. whereby the heel-presser is forced away l" rom the last, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination, with the standard, the last pivoted upon the top thereof, and having a stop, of the rod pivoted to the standard and adapted to engage with the stop and lock the last againstturniug, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the standard, thelast pivotally mounted upon the top of the standard, the heel-presser, and the rod pivoted between its ends, said rod forminga lock to hold the last against turning, and also as a support for the heel-presser, substantially as described. 10. The combination, with the last, the 1evcr, and the stretcher, of the standard, the screw, the carrier-nut, and the rod connected at its lower end with the nut and adapted to have its upper end connected with the stretcher or bearing upon the rear end of the lever, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination,with thelast, the lever, and the stretcher, of the standard, the screw mounted in brackets projected from the standard, the guide-rod, the carrier-nut mounted upon the screw, the rod pivotally connected at its lower end with the nut and terminating` at its upper end in a hook, and a spring' for holding the rod close against the standard, snbstantiall y as described.

In testimony whereof I aflx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL SGHVAB. fitnessesz I. B. Bumm, Guo. W. TYoN. 

